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World leaders gathered in Brussels at the first ever Nuclear Energy Summit co-chaired by the Prime Minister of Belgium Alexander De Croo and the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Mariano Grossi. The Summit was the highest-level meeting to date exclusively focused on the topic of nuclear energy. It followed inclusion of nuclear energy in the Global Stocktake agreed at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai in December 2023 and the launch of the IAEA’s Atoms4NetZero initiative.

Date: Wednesday, 27 March 2024
Original article: neimagazine.com/news/newsnuclear-energy-summit-attracts-world-leaders-11632691

The UK government says its preference remains reaching agreement with the European Union to participate in the Horizon Europe, Euratom and Copernicus programmes, but has also published a prospectus for its "bold and ambitious alternative" plans.

Date: Tuesday, 27 June 2023
Original article: world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/UK-and-EU-continue-talks-amid-Euratom-impasse

The European Commission’s (EC’s) proposed Net-Zero Industry Act (NZIA) seeks to scale up manufacturing of clean technologies in the European Union (EU) and ensure it is well-equipped for the clean-energy transition. The 60-page NZIA is part of the EU's Green Deal Industrial Plan. It is seen as a response to the USA's Inflation Reduction Act and is intended to "strengthen the resilience and competitiveness of net-zero technologies manufacturing in the EU, and make our energy system more secure and sustainable”.

Date: Wednesday, 22 March 2023
Original article: neimagazine.com/news/newsnuclear-is-an-afterthought-in-the-eus-net-zero-industry-10692214

Proposals support bloc’s bid for net zero by 2050 Proposed European legislation which aims to support technologies that will get the bloc to net zero by 2050 includes “advanced technologies to produce energy from nuclear processes with minimal waste from the fuel cycle” and small modular reactors.

The Net Zero Industry Act (NZIA), published by the European Commission on Thursday (16 March), aims to scale up manufacturing of clean technologies in the EU and make sure the bloc is well-equipped for the clean-energy transition.

The commission said the legislation sets out a clear framework to reduce the EU’s reliance on highly concentrated imports.

By drawing on the lessons learnt from the Covid-19 pandemic and the energy crisis sparked by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, it will help increase the resilience of Europe’s clean energy supply chains, a statement said.

The legislation addresses a range of technologies. The commission said it will will improve conditions for investment in net-zero technologies by reducing the administrative burden to set up projects and simplifying permit-granting processes.

Date: Saturday, 18 March 2023
Original article: nucnet.org/news/net-zero-industry-act-includes-advanced-nuclear-energy-and-small-modular-reactors-3-4-2023

The European Commission (EC) has proposed the Net-Zero Industry Act (NZIA) to scale up manufacturing of clean technologies in the EU and make sure it is well-equipped for the clean-energy transition. However, nuclear trade body Nucleareurope said it fails to recognise the sector's full potential contribution.

Date: Friday, 17 March 2023
Original article: world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Nuclear-partially-included-in-EU-s-Net-Zero-Indust

Reactors are ‘strategic technology’ and vital for net zero The letter calls on the European Commission to recognise nuclear as a strategic technology.. There are no valid reasons why nuclear energy should be excluded from Europe’s Net-Zero Industry Act, particularly given that nuclear activities have already been included under the bloc’s sustainable finance taxonomy, an open letter to officials including European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen says.

The letter, signed by nuclear corporations and research centres including France’s EDF and US-based Westinghouse, says nuclear should be included in the act as a strategic technology.

The act is expected to be presented by the commission on Tuesday (14 March). It is part of Europe’s Green Deal Industrial Plan which aims to support EU technologies that will get the bloc to net zero by 2050 and is the EU’s response to, in particular, the US Inflation Reduction Act.

The act is said to identify goals for net-zero industrial capacity and provide a regulatory framework suited for its quick deployment.

The open letter says the US has recognised the importance of supporting its nuclear sector by including it under the Inflation Reduction Act. By supporting the European nuclear sector through the Net-Zero Industry Act, the EU will “remain a key player in the global competition for clean technologies”.

Date: Wednesday, 15 March 2023
Original article: nucnet.org/news/open-letter-says-no-valid-reasons-nuclear-should-be-excluded-from-net-zero-legislation-3-2-2023

The European Parliament has adopted a resolution urging European Union (EU) leaders to extend the sanctions against Russia introduced as a result of the war with Ukraine to include nuclear energy. The motion, was adopted by 489 votes to 36, with 49 abstentions.

Date: Thursday, 09 February 2023
Original article: neimagazine.com/news/newseuropean-parliament-calls-for-russia-sanctions-to-include-nuclear-10576973

Brussels-based industry group responds to leaked draft of European commission proposals Nuclear power has been “clearly recognised” as a technology which contributes to climate mitigation objectives and it should be treated in the European Union’s planned taxonomy rules on an equal footing with renewable energy sources, the Brussels-based nuclear industry association Foratom has said.

According to a leaked draft of the bloc’s taxonomy proposals, nuclear will be treated differently to renewables, as a transitional activity, Foratom said. Furthermore, “sunset clauses”, so-called because they have time limits, have been introduced for existing plants and new build projects. Foratom said in a statement on Tuesday: “We do not believe this is the right approach.”

The sunset clauses say that to be taxonomy compliant, nuclear new build projects must receive a construction permit by 2045. For lifetime extensions, the extension must be authorised by the member state by 2040.

Renewables do not have to meet any similar clauses, nor do they have to meet other rules applied to “transitional” nuclear. Those rules include that nuclear does not hamper the development and deployment of low-carbon alternatives and does not lead to a “lock-in” of carbon-intensive assets. Lock-in occurs when carbon intensive systems perpetuate, delay or prevent the transition to low-carbon alternatives.

Date: Wednesday, 12 January 2022
Original article: nucnet.org/news/foratom-calls-for-nuclear-to-be-put-on-equal-footing-with-renewables-1-2-2022